Novatek board member resigns
Russia's Novatek announced on December 17 it was making changes to its management board, noting one of its deputy chairmen Evgeny Kot had resigned – a development that Russian media has linked to operational issues at the fourth train of the Yamal LNG plant.
Novatek did not say why Kot, who has been at Novatek since 2002 and oversaw Yamal LNG's development, was leaving. But in May, the Moscow-based Kommersant newspaper cited sources as saying issues at the project's fourth train might lead to his resignation.
|
Advertisement: The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) NGC’s HSSE strategy is reflective and supportive of the organisational vision to become a leader in the global energy business. |
The 0.9mn metric tons/year Train 4 is a key project for Novatek despite its small size, as it showcases the company's proprietary Arctic Cascade liquefaction technology and uses more Russian-made equipment than previous trains.
The train was formally put into operation in June but its production has been unstable, Novatek CEO Leonid Mikhelson said in September. He attributed this to the poor quality of the Russian equipment and warned that some of the suppliers could face financial claims.
The key equipment suppliers include Rosatom, Kazankompressormash and Cryogenmash.
Novatek said that Sergey Solovyov, previously a deputy chairman and director for geology, was replacing Kot as the director for prospective projects with authority over LNG, decarbonisation and gas chemical projects. Solovyov's past position will be filled by Vladimir Kudrin, who has worked for 20 years at the company's subsidiaries and joint ventures, including as general director of Arcticgas for the last seven years.